Another share from longer integration galaxy efforts on my new-for-DSO 10yr Celestron EdgeHD 11 reduced, mounted on iOptron CEM70. This was captured earlier, May 13-29, and "technically" follows my M64 posted in the Spring.. The moon (I think) stopped me getting any L. I had other distractions. I first posted a (very bad) OSC image of this target in 2020 (link at end).
This was a lot harder to process than I was expecting. Getting the flocculent appearance balanced without misleading artifacts took a number of iterations. I even tried Topaz AI, which I try to avoid in astro due to artifacts. But with some coaxing and masking, I eventually tamed BXT's usually-welcome eagerness to sharpen. I'm happy (for now!) with this final result. Probably some L would help. Maybe when it comes around in the new year I can do a second round. I'm impressed by the dim clouds and tidal tails in other images that some L might better show.
While no L, I did manage to get some Ha to see what that might add. It's subtle, but I liked the extra boost. I again used Charles Hagen's PhotometricContinuumSubtraction script.
https://www.nightphotons.com/guides/advanced-narrowband-combinationI think this was only my second DSO capture with the EdgeHD 11, following my RGB-only Hamburger Galaxy published in June. It also complements M64, which was the last of my AT130 EDT images of galaxies at the time -- though I have more data from that "in the can" to evaluate. I'm starting to unblock my backlog now it's rainy season in California!
It's always fun to see the faint fuzzies in these galaxy close-ups. There are more in the full frame of even the modest 294MM 4/3" sensor. But my focus is on the galaxy here, so I cropped slightly, leaving in at least a good selection of the fuzzies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_63https://theskylive.com/sky/deepsky/messier-63-sunflower-galaxy-objecthttps://www.astrobin.com/hs7ci1/ - 2020, my first published version here, 2hr OSC on RC8
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